


when you met her, you were beguiled

by seaweedie



Category: The Light Princess
Genre: Drabble, F/F, Parent Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 11:58:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5743018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seaweedie/pseuds/seaweedie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The orphan and the princess: three glimpses.</p>
            </blockquote>





	when you met her, you were beguiled

**Author's Note:**

> This was my entry for Tori Amos' contest based around her musical The Light Princess. They imposed a 300 word limit, which was like offering me a pizza but telling me I can only have half a slice, but I still managed to crank this out. I did not win, but I loved writing the story nonetheless. Please check out the cast album if you can; it's a lovely show.

At six, Piper looked up to see a girl drifting serenely over the garden wall. They stared at each other for a moment; Piper vaguely hoped the princess (for it was unmistakably her) was not repulsed by how untidy she was.

“Who are you?” asked Althea.

“No-one,” said Piper, truthfully. “You’re the princess, aren’t you? I can hear them shouting for you. You’d better hide.”

“Oh, stuff them,” said Althea airily. “That’s the nice thing about being up here, you see; they don’t matter at all! I shall simply fly away.”

Piper clucked her tongue and hid Althea in the library. They listened, crouched in the darkness, as the grown-ups ran about. The princess’s hand in hers felt like a bird’s heart, fitful and fluttering.

At twelve, Piper glared out the window.

“I don’t understand why you’re so upset,” said Althea. “It was only a letter.”

(Her father’s remains had been found at last, picked clean, deep in the Wilderness. _Waylaid by Sealand mercenaries_ , the letter had said. _This medal posthumously awarded for loyal service as emissary of the Crown._ )

“Of course you don’t,” replied Piper bitterly. “You’re above all my silly little problems, remember?”

She burst into tears. Althea made a noise of concern and pulled Piper into a rare, clumsy embrace. Piper knew she did not understand, and wept harder.

At fourteen, Piper lost her head completely and kissed Althea. The result was almost worth it, if only for the novelty; Althea went quiet and still for perhaps the first time in her life. After a long moment she said, very solemnly: “Thank you.” Her hand tightened around Piper’s.

Then she laughed, golden and untouchable, and pushed off the bookcase to spiral gently towards the ceiling. The sun reached down through the tall windows and touched Piper’s face. She watched Althea soar.


End file.
